Asian Chicken is sticky, sweet and savoury – everything you know and love about Asian food! An Asian Chicken Marinade infuses the chicken with flavour, and can be cooked on the grill, stove OR oven.
You can never have too many Asian chicken recipes – and this one is a great all rounder!
Asian Chicken recipe
This is a classic Food Memory dish. You know what I mean, don’t you?? It’s when the sight, smell or taste of a specific food brings back a flood of memories of a specific moment in your life.
And I will always remember this particular Asian chicken recipe as the one that rendered my girlfriends silent.
A very rare, noteworthy moment. Because when I get together with my girlfriends, the noise never stops. Chattering, laughing, screeching. You know what it’s like when a bunch of girls get together!!!
But when I put a platter of this Asian Chicken on the table and my friends starting tucking in, silence descended over the table.
The Asian Chicken Marinade tenderises and infuses the chicken with great Asian flavours!
Of course, it was fleeting. Because I distinctly remember one of the girls breaking the silence with a wisecrack about….well, that we were silent because we were so busy tucking into the food!!!
This is one of my classic “back pocket” recipes that I vary from day to day, depending on what I have in the fridge. It’s not so much about having the exact ingredients, it’s more about using the same proportions of something sweet, salty, savoury and sour.
So while the end result might not taste exactly the same as my base recipe, it’s still going to be really tasty. Really, really tasty. 🙂
Which is why I’ve provided plenty of substitutions in the notes. Plus you can eyeball the measurements too. No need to pull out measuring spoons. (Unless you really don’t trust yourself to get the measures approximately right!!)
Great Asian recipe for the grill
The other lovely thing about this recipe is that you can throw it on the BBQ (it’s my “go to” Asian BBQ recipe), cook it on the stove (which is what I did for these photos), under the broiler/grill or bake it in the oven.
So what’s on your meal plan for this week? If you’re preparing ahead, this is perfect to add to the menu! Just throw the chicken and marinade into a ziplock bag and pop it straight into the freezer. It will marinade in the time it takes for it to freeze and defrost which is handy.
Serve it with rice on the side (psst! Did you know you can freeze cooked rice rice? All my relatives in Japan do it! 🙂 ) and some juicy wedges of cucumber (no dressing required, the freshness is a great match with the strong flavours of the chicken).
It’s dinner in a snap! And a pretty darn sensational one at that, in my humble opinion. And if the reaction from my friends was anything to go by! – Nagi x
My favourite Asian Chicken recipes
All these are ideal for grilling but can also be cooked on the stove
Yakitori Chicken – Japanese chicken skewers on my mother’s Japanese recipe website, RecipeTin Japan
Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang) – marinated in a fragrant Thai marinade
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken – infused with beautiful Vietnamese lemongrass flavours
Thai Coconut Chicken – added richness and flavour from a coconut marinade
My favourite back-pocket marinades
These are the ones I use over and over again, made with pantry staples with lots of sub options!
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Asian Chicken (Asian marinade)
Ingredients
- 1 – 1.5 lb / 500 – 750g chicken thigh fillets , skinless boneless
Asian Marinade (see notes for subs)
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tsp ginger , freshly grated
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine OR Mirin (Note 1)
- 1 – 3 tbsp Sriracha (adjust spiciness to taste)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Cooking / Garnishes (optional)
- 2 tsp oil
- Sesame seeds
- Finely sliced shallots / green onions
- Finely sliced red chilies
Instructions
- Mix Marinade ingredients together. Add chicken and mix to coat. Marinade in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Heat oil in a large non stick skillet or BBQ over medium high heat. (See notes for other cooking methods) Add chicken and cook until each side is dark golden brown and chicken is cooked through (about 3 minutes each side). Transfer to plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 3 minutes.
- Garnish with chillies, shallots and sesame seeds if desired. Serve with white rice and slices of cucumber.
Recipe Notes:
* Chicken – tenderloins is great, breast also works but won’t come out as sticky.
* Garlic / ginger – 1 tsp garlic / ginger powder (but please try to use fresh, it’s much better. Asian cooking doesn’t use garlic / ginger powder)
* Soy sauce – I use all purpose soy sauce but light or dark also works. Light and Dark Soy Sauce will be labelled as such on the bottle, all purpose just says “soy sauce”. I use Kikkoman. And fish sauce could also be used in place of the soy sauce, but reduce to 1 1/2 tbsp (because fish sauce is saltier)
* Tomato ketchup – Australian tomato sauce can be used
* Oyster sauce – hoisin sauce (but note it has a mild Chinese 5 Spice Powder flavour which is nice)
* Chinese cooking wine (aka Shaoxing Cooking Wine) – Asian rice wine used commonly in Asian cooking. Mirin is an excellent alternative. This is the secret ingredient in the marinade! Sub with dry sherry (best option), sake (next best) or marsala. To make it non alcoholic, use 2 tbsp chicken stock/broth PLUS 1 tbsp extra oyster sauce.* Sriracha – swap out with any other chili paste or finely chopped fresh chili or powder. Add a tiny bit (1 tsp or so) of vinegar (white, malt, apple cider), lime or lemon juice (because Sriracha is the “sour” component in this marinade)
* Brown sugar – white sugar, honey or maple syrup
* Sesame oil – this can be left out. 2. This can also be baked in a 180C/350F oven for around 20 minutes or grilled / broiled on high. It’s also great made as skewers. 3. To make ahead: Place chicken and marinade in a ziplock bag and place in the freezer straight away. Defrost before cooking. The chicken marinades as it freezes / defrosts. Cook per directions. Cooked chicken doesn’t freeze that well – the chicken itself is fine but the marinade flavour fades.
Nutrition per serving, assuming 500g/1lb thigh fillets for 4 servings. Reduces to 288 calories if chicken breast is used. Sodium can be reduced by using less soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce.
Life of Dozer
Shock horror. Guess where Dozer was camping out while I photographed this. (PS He’s wearing his robe because I took him the beach just before making this and it was cold this morning. How would you like to be walking around with wet fur all over you in the middle of winter?? 😉 )
I fixed this recipe and followed all measurements precisely. I’m not good the eye-balling thing! I let it marinate overnight to make it easier for the cooking night.
It did take the chicken thighs longer than 2-3 minutes per side to cook. Other than that, this recipe is so tasty! It hits all the taste buds. I love the stickiness after it cooks.
I received many many compliments on the taste. The fresh ginger and garlic are key. I served it with brown rice, and also made homemade egg rolls. This is by far one of the best recipes I’ve ever fixed.
This is a keeper! Thank you.
Wahoo, that’s great Jodi!! N x
Nagi, once again you have NAILED it!! I made a double batch of the marinade and marinated the thighs overnight. Cooked them on a grill over lump charcoal and added applewood chips for the last half of cooking… this is my new favorite marinade! Can’t wait to make some of your other recipes!
Sounds absolutely to die for Tomji!! N x
Yum, yum, yum. My husband and I both think this is delicious!
That’s great to hear Hannah!
This is a great marinade. I make it a day early and then cook it in my instant pot. Three minutes for chunks and five for a whole breast. I slice it and use it on a salad. Yummy. I’ve made about 15 of your recipes and figure I should probably comment and say thanks for making Asian recipes easy and understandable to make. I am also a fan of your Mexican recipes. You have great taste!
Wahoo, that’s fantastic Bj!
Haven’t cooked it yet but it’s marinating now! Left out the tomato sauce though, the marinade tasted great without it!
That’s awesome to know Karmel, thanks so much!
Hi Nagi, would this be a good sauce for deep fried shrimp?
Sure would Dianna, I would cook the garlic and ginger then add the remaining ingredients and allow to cool – N x
I have this marinading for dinner tonight! Question what is the extra sauce on the plate, is that extra marinade or something else?
Hi Doreen, this is just some chilli oil – N x
Hi. Would this recipe work with a spatchcock chicken cooked in the oven
Hi Alan, I don’t see why not, you’d have to adjust the cook times accordingly for a spatchcock though – N x
can this marinade be used for a pork tenderloin?
Yes definitely!
Nagi you are my favourite cook ever. Thank you for making me look like a star chef, I am obsessed with every recipe you make!
WOOOT! That’s awesome to hear Noopur ❤️
Made this for dinner tonight with chicken drumsticks. Made more sauce and heated up a third of it to serve over the chicken and rice. Also served garlic bok choy on the side. AMAZING DINNER. Husband ate 6 drumsticks and said it was fantastic. It was so tasty and more-ish.
Is there a non-alcoholic substitute for the chines cooking wine?
Hi Ollie, yes – It’s all in the recipe notes 🙂
I have a bunch of bone in skin on thighs. Do you think that would work?
Yes definitely!!
Yet another wonderful recipe of yours! You have fast become my main source for recipes as every one of yours that I have tried has been scrumptious! Thank you for being you x
That’s so kind of you Kat, thanks so much ❤️
Excellent, easy marinade. My husband has some diet restrictions so we substituted tamari for soy sauce, & coconut sugar for brown. I even found gluten free oyster sauce. We only marinated for 3 hrs and then threw it on the grill. YUM!
That’s awesome to know May!
Amazing Marinade! I grilled the chicken on my indoor grill, cooked the marinade to use as a sauce on top of our roasted veggies! Thanks so much for sharing!
Sounds fabulous Becky!
Loved this! Even my kid who doesn’t like sauces went for it (the chicken and the broccoli parts). Good counsel on substitute ingredients. Thank you, Nagi!
You’re so welcome Jenny!
You’ve done it again Nagi, great recipe and easy enough for beginners like me to do.
I have put my daughters and my brother-in-law’ and some friends onto your site and they love it.
Good work mate.
That’s awesome John, thanks so much for the great feedback!
Made this as a stir fry. Cut up the thighs and marinated all day. Added a little cornstarch to a small amt. of chicken stock to thicken slightly. Added vegetables and served over brown rice pasta. Excellent!!! Thank you.
Great Alex!
Hi Nagi – do you think this would work on a small lean pork loin roast, cut into chunks, and baked? Many of the pork loin recipes I have turn out very dry.
Hi Debbie, the marinade would work fine, however if the pork is lean just watch out it doesn’t dry out!
Thanks Nagi – it worked great. I left the loin whole and marinated overnight. I will try chicken next and on the grill this summer.